Not For the First Time
by Capstar98
Summary: The Starks take a trip to visit the Parkers back in New York City, but Peter and MJ are hiding something, and Tony's going to figure out what. Meanwhile, Morgan will put on a fashion show. [Part 1 of 'Fast Forward']


A/N: This story just kind of figured itself out as I wrote it, but I kind of love it. Here, Peter is 24 and married to MJ.

* * *

Tony stepped out of the car and onto the curb, lifting his head to look around. The towers of Midtown sprang up in the distance, the sun was settling lower in the sky, and an obnoxious number of pigeons were wandering around. He took a deep breath.

"Ah, the smell of street garbage. Eau de New York, as they call it."

Pepper got out of the driver's seat, shutting the door behind her. "Missing our little cabin in the woods yet?" She said, a wry smile on her face.

The back door opened and Morgan rushed out onto the sidewalk, a backpack slung over her shoulder. She made a bee-line for the door of the nearest building, and pressed the buzzer. Tony and Pepper followed behind.

A female voice came over the speakers. "_Parkers' apartment._"

"Emmie it's me!" Morgan said excitedly. "Let is in!"

"_Hey! Come on up!_"

The door buzzed and they pushed it in. The inside hall was worn, but charming in its own right. Not really Tony's style, but then they had never let him cover rent for them.

They took the elevator up to the seventh floor, and knocked on the third door from the right.

The door swung open, and Tony couldn't help the smile that broke out over his face. "Peter!"

Peter's answering grin was just as bright. He ushered them inside. "Oh, man. It's so good to see you guys!"

"Petey!" Morgan attacked him with one of her specialty hugs, and he laughed.

After his girl had moved on to greet MJ, Tony moved forwards and wrapped Peter in a tight hug, his face tucked into his shoulder. "Good to see you, too, kid," he said. Peter squeezed back.

Once they'd properly said their hellos, Peter ran back downstairs with Morgan to grab their bags, and they settled in.

The apartment was tight, but cozy, and well decorated. Tony had to credit MJ with that one. Peter had never known how to make up a room.

"Here's your room," MJ guided them the first door on the right, and opened it for them. Inside was a proper looking bed, and the walls were adorned with art. "We'll put Morgan on the couch — it folds out."

"This place is adorable!" Pepper said. "So much better than your last one."

MJ raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure anything would have been an upgrade over that one. I mean, the rats?" She shuddered. "But yeah, this place has been great."

Peter was bouncing around, helping them move their bags and unpack and set up their beds. At one point he climbed up on the wall to get around Pepper, and MJ pulled him down with a stern glare. Then he pulled out the couch and put on sheets for Morgan. All the while, the smile never left his face.

Finally, they were all set up and ready to head out. Pepper had planned their days there to be full of classic stops — places that Morgan just had to see. That night they were headed to dinner, and then out to see a Broadway show.

As they walked out, Morgan jumped up onto Peter's back for a ride. He acquiesced happily.

"What grade are you in now, Morgan?" Peter asked.

"Sixth!" she said happily.

"Wow," Peter replied. "That's exciting. A big year — middle school!"

Tony watched his two kids with a soft smile on his face. He felt settled and relaxed, and unbearably happy. It was moments like this where he couldn't believe how lucky he was.

He turned and saw MJ looking at the two of them with the same gentle smile. He nudged her with his elbow.

"What have you been up to lately, huh?"

MJ looked over at him and shrugged. "More of the same, really. I'm still working for that production company." She paused. "Honestly, I think I might quit soon. It's not quite as fun as I had imagined."

"Well, if you're ever short of a job, Stark Industries is always hiring," he offered.

She raised an eyebrow at him in response.

"Hey," he laughed, "always worth a try."

They were out on the sidewalk now, and walked down a block to a main street.

Peter stepped a little off the curb to hail a cab, and in a moment they were loading into a yellow minivan and headed towards the restaurant. Like a pro, the taxi driver barely gave Tony a second glance. They made their way through the traffic to Midtown.

Pepper had reserved them a room in the back of the restaurant, and they kept their heads down as they walked through.

Morgan was still clinging to Peter, not letting him out of her sight, and took the seat next to him. Tony took the one on his other side, and MJ and Pepper sat down in the remaining seats.

Morgan had already launched right into a story about her classmate.

"His name's Billy, and he's a real jerk," she said.

"Oh yeah?" Peter replied, setting his napkin in his lap.

Morgan nodded. "Yeah! He told Melissa she smelled like cabbage!"

Peter raised his eyebrows. "Dang. That's a deep cut."

"And then he spilled orange juice on Katie!" she added.

"But he got detention, didn't he?" prompted Pepper.

"Yeah, he did. But he's still a jerk."

Tony took a sip of water. "Oh, definitely," he said after swallowing.

"_Tony_," Pepper said reprovingly.

He shrugged. "What? He is."

"Yeah," said Morgan in agreement.

He gave her a fist bump.

Peter was laughing. "Wow. Middle school drama is wild."

"You're telling me," Tony said. "Last week I got in a shouting match with another mom over soccer snacks. Like, why do they always have to have snacks? For every single game — snacks. I don't get it."

"I would pay good money to see that," MJ said, chuckling.

The waiter came by to get their order, and Tony made sure to get more than a few appetizers. He knew Peter would feel weird ordering a lot of food, but he also knew that kid needed to eat.

Sure enough, when the food arrived Peter piled it up on his plate.

Through a bite of calamari, he said, "Man, though — we've got a lot to tell you."

MJ shot him a glare, and he stuttered, eyes wide.

"I mean like — like my job!" he finished gracefully. "Still got it!"

Tony shared a look with Pepper. Obviously MJ didn't want him to talk about something. Whatever — he'd get Peter to spill the beans later.

The kid was still talking. "Or — you know, those… politics are happening. Right?"

MJ had her head in her hand. She shook her head as she brought it up again and looked around pointedly. "Any updates from your stretch of the woods? Anything?"

Morgan was stuffing her face with mozzarella sticks, oblivious to the undercurrent in their conversation. "We're getting a dog," she said eagerly.

What? Tony blinked and tilted his head at her. "Oh, we are? Funny, this is the first I've heard about this."

"That's because I just decided it," Morgan replied simply.

Pepper was laughing. "God, Tony — your face."

He raised his hands up. "All I'm gonna say is that I won't pick any poop."

"We could make a robot poop picker upper!" Morgan suggested excitedly.

"Can't we just round up and have a robot dog?" Tony implored.

"We'll talk about this more later, honey," Pepper said to Morgan diplomatically.

The rest of the dinner passed pleasantly, with the five of them dancing from topic to topic. By the time they stepped back out onto the street, Tony's chest was full of that warm feeling that came from being surrounded by people he loved.

The air outside was bitter cold, though. He wrapped his coat tighter around himself and grabbed Morgan's gloves out of his pocket.

"Damn, I feel like it shouldn't be this cold yet," he said. "Isn't global warming supposed to be helping with this?"

"Careful what you wish for," MJ said, bringing her hat down over her ears.

Pepper was headed down the street, beaconing them to follow. "Come on! We gotta move or we'll be late!"

Morgan grabbed Tony's hand to hold, and when he looked up he saw she had Peter in her other hand. She was swinging her arms between them.

"Well, we gotta get this train moving, right?" Peter said, a twinkle in his eye.

Tony understood his intentions immediately, and smiled. "One, two… three!" He said, and together they lifted Morgan up off the ground by her arms and swung her forwards.

She laughed in delight. "Do it again!"

"Why don't we catch up to Mom and MJ first?"

"Okay!" And then she was skipping, pulling the two of them along.

Tony laughed as Peter actually started skipping along with her. How was this boy 24? A real adult — with a masters and a wife? Sometimes it felt like time was slipping through his fingers, and he took a second to savor the moment.

As they walked through Times Square towards Broadway, the lights shone down on their faces, and the noise of people rose into the air along with their clouded breath.

They made it to the theater just in time, and slipped into their seats. Morgan looked in wonder at the towering ceilings and glittering chandeliers, and Peter made sure to stop by concessions for snacks. As the curtain opened, Pepper took his hand in hers.

* * *

"That was amazing!" Morgan said to him when they got back outside after the show.

Tony wholeheartedly agreed. "Never thought a show about the Declaration of Independence would be interesting."

They were walking down the street now to hail a cab. "Yeah, the people who write these are so creative. You think I could make something like that, Dad?"

He placed a hand on her shoulder and tucked her close. "Oh, heck yes, Morgan. You would absolutely crush it."

She smiled up at him, then yawned.

"You tired?" Pepper asked.

"No!" She said defiantly.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Sure you're not."

They walked through the dark, sidewalks dimly lit by signs and headlights.

In front of them, Peter was walking with MJ, his arm wrapped around her waist. As Tony watched, he leaned down and kissed MJ on the temple.

He hated to admit it, but they were adorable.

When he had first met MJ, he had been a little wary. She seemed too quiet — too reserved to be a match for Peter. But he had come to see how she balanced him out nicely, and as they had gotten to know each other Tony had seen her dry wit emerge.

Their wedding had been quiet and beautiful, at the same church where Peter's aunt and uncle had married. Of course, the reception had ended with him drunkenly singing "Country Roads," — Yeah, he didn't need to dwell on that again.

Peter hailed the cab again and they crawled in. The ride was quiet, with all of them tired from the night out. The only sound was the radio playing softy. Tony felt settled in a way he hadn't for a while. He didn't just feel safe and calm — it was something more than that.

Of course, that feeling evaporated when a news report came over the radio. Immediately, Peter perked up, listening closely.

Electro had been spotted uptown, they said, and was holding people hostage in a bank.

Tony's chest tightened when Peter called for the driver to pull over and let him out. All he received from the kid was what was probably meant to be a reassuring smile, and a promise to be home later.

Then he was gone, walking off in to the shadows to become Spider-Man.

Tony wished, not for the first time, that he could follow after — could help Peter, and keep him safe. But it had been a long time since he had donned the Iron Man suit, and a part of him knew he never would again.

All he could do was pray — which, in his experience, didn't help much.

The mood was more somber as they returned to the apartment. MJ sportingly asked if they wanted a drink, but they declined, knowing that everyone just needed to get to bed.

As Tony tucked Morgan into bed, she said softly, "Peter — he'll be okay, right?"

He brushed her hair back from her face. When she was little, Morgan hadn't understood why Peter would just disappear. As she got older, though, she understood more and more where he was going and what it meant. He wished he could lift the worries of her shoulders, but he knew from experience that was an impossible task. "Yeah, sweetie," he said. "He's fine. He'll be back for breakfast, don't you worry."

* * *

Except when Tony woke up the next morning, he wasn't back.

Tony had never been great at sleeping, and sure enough he was the first to wake. The sun was just coming over the horizon as he shifted out from under Pepper's arm, careful not to wake her. In the living room, he smiled when he saw Morgan drooling on her pillow.

When he checked the closet where Peter hung up the suit, though, it wasn't there. A quick peek in their room proved his theory.

Concerned, he pulled out his phone and checked for Peter's location. It looked like he wasn't far away, actually.

He stepped out on the small balcony, shivering against the cold, and called Peter's phone. It kept ringing, and the longer he waited, the more anxious he became.

Tony was about to push the call through when a figure landed quietly beside him. He jumped back in surprise, and then a wave of relief hit him as he realized who it was.

"Peter!"

Peter put a hand on his shoulder and guided him back inside, surely wary of curious eyes. Tony closed the balcony door behind him.

But having Morgan in the room forced him to be quiet, and unfortunately for him, when Peter pulled his mask off, he wanted to yell.

The kid looked exhausted. Purple colored the bags under his eyes. His hair was messy, sticking up every which way. And a colorful bruise shone on his cheek.

He leaned up against the kitchen counter. "Hey, Tony," he said softly.

"What happened?" Tony whispered, reaching up to touch the bruise. Peter flinched as he brushed it with his fingers, so he moved his hand down to his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Fine. Things just got a little… complicated."

Tony gave him a thorough once over, trying to tell if he was hiding any other hurts, but it just looked like he was tired. "Electro?"

"Taken care of. And no one was hurt, thank God." Peter ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up even more. "I'm gonna… I'm gonna get a little sleep." He looked at the clock and groaned softly. "See you in like two hours."

Tony sighed and squeezed his shoulder. "Alright. Glad your safe."

Peter nodded absently, obviously already half asleep. The kid could keep himself going for way too long without it, but as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he could be asleep in seconds.

Tony let him go, watching him pad over to his room and close the door softly behind himself.

Not for the first time, he thought that Peter pushed himself too hard. He knew that he had done the same self destructive things when he had been Iron Man, but that didn't make it any better. He knew he'd done a lot wrong in his time, and as always he'd prefer for Pete to do it right. Unfortunately, it was hard to control a 24 year old kid — _man — _who lived several hundred miles away from him. Especially with May gone. He knew Peter could take care of himself, but still…

After a long sigh, he got the coffee machine going and settled himself at the small table.

The sun had fully risen by now, the pinks in the sky turning to blue. He took out his phone again and scrolled through it to find news reports on what happened.

What he read made the grip on his phone tighten.

Electro had been holding 10 people hostage in a bank — all employees who had stayed late last night. He had been attempting to bargain for access to the accounts of New York's richest, including executives, politicians, and entertainers. But Spider-Man convinced him to let the hostages go, in exchange for _being one himself_. Of course, he hadn't stayed docile long, and what happened next was a long game of cat and mouse between Spider-Man and Electro, with Spider-Man eventually subduing him by using… high frequency sound waves?

Tony ground his teeth. It pained him that he couldn't help anymore; that his day was gone. And that while he was sleeping peacefully, Peter had been courting danger the whole night.

He forced himself to relax and enjoy his coffee in the early morning quiet as he waited for the others to wake up.

A while later, Pepper made her way out to the kitchen, typically ready and dressed for the day. She filled a cup of coffee for herself and sat down next to Tony.

"'Morning," Tony said.

She drew him in for a kiss, and then sat back. "Good morning." After a sip of coffee, she asked, "Is Peter back?"

He nodded. "Came in just after I woke up."

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Rough night?"

"He looks okay. But he's gonna be tired today."

She huffed a laugh. "That's for sure."

The next person up was Morgan, who stirred when Tony accidentally put his mug down too hard on the table. "Wuh?" she mumbled, and rubbed her eyes.

"Morning, MoMo," Tony said. "Sorry I woke you."

She sat up, and her hair was comically messy. Her response was a series of disgruntled grumbling. After a minute, she got vertical and made her way to the bathroom.

"Our little angel," Pepper said, shooting a wry smile at Tony.

MJ followed not long after, her hair up in a messy bun. "Morning, everybody." She grabbed her own coffee and leaned up against the counter. "I'll get Peter up in a minute, and then we could go out for breakfast or something."

"He still asleep?" Tony asked. She nodded, and he said, "Why don't we just leave him and come pick him up after we eat?"

"That's a good idea," Pepper said. "I'm sure he needs the sleep."

MJ sighed and glanced at the door to their bedroom. "Yeah, okay."

* * *

After they had gotten dressed and put on coats and hats, they walked down the street to a place that MJ liked. It was a cute little diner, with booths and pictures of food on the walls.

Their waiter was excited to be serving the Starks, but thankfully she didn't hang around too much.

Tony got himself a stack of pancakes, and smiled after the first bite. "This is great," he said around the food in his mouth.

MJ smiled a little distractedly.

Tony looked over at Pepper and Morgan. They were talking together and coloring the pictures on the kids menu. Satisfied that they were distracted, Tony said, "You've been alright? With everything?"

She looked up at him and opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. "It's been good," she said finally, "for the most part. It's just… sometimes I kinda feel like…" she sighed and pushed eggs around on her plate. "Like he puts Spider-Man before us. Before me."

Before Tony could reply, she said hurriedly, "I — I know he loves me. I just feel like he could prioritize his own safety a little more, especially now."

"Especially now?" Tony asked.

She blinked. "I just mean — now that we're married. But I know I can't stop him, and I've tried getting used to it. It's just… hard."

"Believe me," Tony said with a sigh, "It never gets any easier."

"Well, that's a relief," MJ replied wryly.

"Daddy, look at this!" Morgan said, pointing at her drawing, and Tony was distracted.

By the time they made it back to the apartment, it was almost 10. They found Peter sitting in the kitchen, a large cup of coffee in front of him.

He waved sheepishly. "Hey, everybody."

"Morning, Pete," Tony said. "You ready for a day of fun activities?"

Peter gave a tight lipped smile and a thumbs up.

"Let's go!" Morgan said, pulling Peter to his feet.

And they were off.

* * *

Honestly, it was a great day. Their first stop was the Museum of Modern Art, which was at turns engaging and amusing. Pepper was fawning over various pieces, and Tony and Peter shared humored glances over dubious works.

"Mom, what is _that?" _Morgan said at one point. Pepper looked up to see she was pointing to a picture of a man's scrotum and swiftly removed her from the room. Tony and Peter laughed loudly as they followed them out.

From there, they moved on to lunch, and then a stop at Fifth Avenue for some shopping. MJ went off with Pepper, and Tony followed Morgan to the kids section.

An hour later, and down a few hundred dollars in clothes, Tony found Peter sitting in a chair by the door. His head was thrown back against the wall, and his eyes were closed. Tony chuckled and gently kicked his leg to wake him up.

"Gah!" Peter said, looking around. When he saw Tony standing above him, he rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath. "Ah. Sorry."

"You're good, Pete. But we're leaving now, so get on your feet." He offered out a hand and pulled Peter up.

"Where to next?"

"Back to your apartment, actually. Pepper's gonna make dinner for us."

Peter smiled. "Aw, sweet."

"Yup. Now get out there and grab us a cab."

* * *

Back at the apartment, Morgan broke out her new clothes and gave them a fashion show, which was adorable and hilarious.

After she had finished, Tony took the opportunity to get up and grab a drink. He grabbed two beers, and passed one to Peter. "Let's go sit out on the balcony," Tony said.

Peter frowned. "But it's cold —"

"Outside. Come on."

They settled in the rickety chairs outside, the alcohol warming them against the cold.

Tony took a good look at Peter. He still looked worn out, but at least the bruise on his cheek had faded. He thought back on the exchange the night before between him and MJ, and used his usual brand of tact.

"What's going on?" He asked bluntly. "What aren't you telling me?"

Peter blinked and looked over at him. "What do you mean?" he said, shiftily.

Tony gave him a look. "You are the world's worst liar. Now, come on. What is it?"

"I'm… not really allowed to say. MJ would kill me."

He frowned. What did that mean? What were they both involved in? What could… his eyes widened.

"Nope," said Peter. "That's your 'I'm figuring this out' face, and you're not allowed to figure this out."

He said it anyway. "Is MJ… pregnant?"

Peter's face gave him all the response he needed.

"Oh, my god! Peter!" he leaned forwards towards him. "I mean… was this planned? Do you want this?"

A slow smile was spreading over Peter's face. "No, we didn't plan it. But yeah, we're gonna keep it. We both want this."

"Are you sure?" Tony thought about who he was at 24. There was no way that guy could've been a good father. Of course, Peter was different — he was good with kids, kind, and loving. But he was still so _young. _

Peter nodded. He looked both nervous and settled. And so, so happy. "I didn't think it would happen yet. But I can't wait to be a dad. To be for someone else what my family was for me. What _you _are to me."

And damn it, if that didn't bring a tear to the eye. Tony brought Peter close and crushed him in a hug. "I'll be here for you, kid. For both of you."

Peter pressed his face into Tony's shoulder. "Yeah," he said. "I know." He pulled back, smiling.

"But, you should know," Tony added, "I think MJ is… concerned. I mean, take it from me. Superheroes and family don't mix very well."

Peter nodded. "I know. I'm gonna cut back — I am," he said earnestly at Tony's look of doubt. "I can't stop all of it," he added. "I am that self aware. But I'm going to be there for them. For MJ and the baby."

_The baby. _

Tony broke out in a soft smile. "I can't believe this."

"Me, either."

"How far along is she?"

Peter sat back. "Only a couple weeks — we just found out recently. That's why she didn't want me to say anything. Thinks it'll jinx it."

Tony nodded. "It'll be fine," he said. "She doesn't have to know I know."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Oh, she's gonna know as soon as we go back inside."

Tony paused. "What do you say we finish these beers first?"

Peter chuckled. "That sounds like a great idea."

They sat in silence for a minute, sipping beer and looking out over the neighborhood. And not for the first time, Tony felt that wave of gratitude come over him. In 9 months, a new face, a new spirit, would be added to their little family. He couldn't deny it any more — Peter was an adult. Soon, he would be a _dad. _It made Tony's heart glow to think about.

Tony looked over at Peter and smiled again.

He couldn't wait.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! I'm planning on making this a series, so let me know what you want to see of the life of a grown up Peter Parker!


End file.
